Earlier this week we let you know about Sandra Ruttan’s next book, Lullaby for the Nameless, and I just got an email from Dorchester Publishing that informs me of a chance for readers to be a minor character in the book! Here’s the scoop:
“If I have a daughter, I’ll name her Chrysanthemum.”
When my stepdaughter announced this the other day, what I said was, “Would you call her Chrys for short?”
What I was thinking was, Dear God, where did she come up with that?
This is why I don’t let the kids get involved in naming characters in my books, although sometimes it would seem easier than agonizing over it myself. One of the things I find most challenging is naming characters.
Naming a character can be very tricky. You’re meeting them as a person, with a history. I think babies often grow into their names, but when you’re dealing with a character that’s over twenty years you have to think about what suits their personality.
I spend a lot of time pouring over baby names books and online name sites. I’ll usually come up with a list of six to twelve possible names I like, and then start playing around with combinations.
Not only does the name need to fit the character’s personality, it also needs to sound okay with the other characters they interact with. As a result, sometimes I have to try a name out for a while and then switch it later if it isn’t working for me.
Now, it’s your turn to help me name a character. Enter for a chance to appear as a minor character in the third book in the Canadian Constable series, LULLABY FOR THE NAMELESS. Simply send an e-mail to sandra@sandraruttan.com with the subject line “Name Contest” and answer the following question:
“Which police department do Constables Nolan, Hart and Tain work for?”
Send your answers in by December 1, 2008. The winner will be announced December 5, 2008.
Pretty cool, pretty simple, and much like I believe a Tomio needs to be in Ambergris, equally a Tomio needs to be in a crime book preferably dapper don style like Archie Goodwin, and my entry will be a public one – Bacon Jones. Tell the truth, everybody loves bacon, even Canadian bacon!
Anyways, get those entries in and have fun! Don’t forget, we also have a contest up now for signed copies of two of her books right now!
